Cooking for Passover the feast without yeast

Use leftover chicken to make Chicken Minah. (Photo courtesy of A la Karte, Kosher Boutique Cuisine)

Five-hundred. That’s how many pieces of gefilte fish Jeff Klein and his crew make for Passover at Pumpernick’s Delicatessen and Restaurant in North Wales. He proudly serves his grandmother’s recipe and looks forward to sharing the holiday with his family.

“My family does it pretty big. We have 20 to 30 people at my parents’ house on the first night,” said Klein, the general manager. “It’s no longer just a dinner. We have the little kids saying the prayers. It’s fun watching the younger generation participate and show enthusiasm for the holiday.”

“Because this is one of those holidays that’s largely based around food and not eating bread or anything with yeast in it, we do have a Passover menu the whole eight days,” he noted.

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Like Klein, Ofelia Cohen of A la Karte… Kosher Boutique Cuisine in Lower Merion creates tasty unleavened options for every meal. Try starting the day with her Passover Granola/Snack Mix.

“This granola is too good! You can eat it for breakfast, munch on it for a snack and even stir it into melted chocolate and make a candy that is addictive!” she explained.

Cohen also puts her spin on leftovers with Chicken Minah.

“It’s almost like having a matzo empanada,” she described. “It makes a great lunch or light dinner and a great way to reuse the leftover chicken from your Seder’s chicken soup.”

For dessert, “I try to look for things that are naturally flour-free,” advised award-winning chef and cookbook author Aliza Green.

Majorcan Lemon-Almond Cake is one of her go-to recipes.

“I just love that combination of the honey and the lemon,” said Green, also chef-manager of Baba Olga’s Café at Material Culture in East Falls. “They say the shape of the menorah is based on the shape of the almond tree, so it has a religious significance as well.”

Another favorite: Australian Pavlova with Lemon Filling and Tropical Fruits.

“It’s really delicious and not heavy or dry or all those other things we might think of for Passover baking.”

Place the reserved bones, skin and fish heads in a wide, very large saucepan with a cover. Add the water and 2 teaspoons of the salt and bring to a boil. Remove the foam that accumulates. Slice one onion in rounds and add along with three of the carrots. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes while preparing the fish mixture.

Place the ground fish in a bowl. In a food processor, finely chop the remaining onions, the remaining carrot and the parsnip, or mince them by hand. Add the chopped vegetables to the ground fish. Add the eggs, one at a time, the remaining teaspoon of salt, pepper and the cold water, and mix thoroughly. Stir in enough matzo meal to make a light, soft mixture into oval shapes, about 3 inches long.

Remove from the saucepan the onions, skins, head and bones, and return the stock to a simmer. Gently place the fish patties in the simmering fish stock. Cover loosely and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste the liquid while the fish is cooking and add seasoning to taste. Shake the pot periodically, so the fish patties won’t stick. When cooked, remove from the water and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the gefilte fish and arrange on a platter. Strain some of the stock over the fish, saving the rest in a bowl. Slice the cooked carrots into rounds cut on a diagonal about ¼-inch thick. Place a carrot round on top of each gefilte fish patty. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with a sprig of parsley and horseradish.

Recipe courtesy of Pumpernick’s Delicatessen and Restaurant

Majorcan Lemon-Almond Cake

Yield: 1 (9-inch) cake, serves 8 to 12

½ pound (1½ cups) blanched almonds

2 tablespoons potato starch

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon softened unsalted Passover margarine, for the pan

¼ cup sliced almonds, preferably skin-on

4 large eggs, separated

½ cup sugar

¼ cup honey

Grated zest of 2 lemons

Passover confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the whole almonds, potato starch, cinnamon and salt in the work bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. Rub a 9-inch removable-bottom or springform cake pan with one tablespoon of the margarine, sprinkle the bottom with the sliced almonds, then dust with a little of the ground almond mixture, shaking off the excess.

In the clean and greaseless work bowl of a standing electric mixer and using the whisk, beat the egg whites until fluffy, then add the sugar and continue beating until the whites are firm and glossy, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to another bowl.

Using the same mixer bowl (it is not necessary to wash it), combine the yolks and honey. Beat with the whisk until light and thick, about 5 minutes. Fold in the remaining ground almond mixture and the lemon zest. Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl. Fold the meringue into the almond mixture in thirds so as not to deflate the whites. Spread the batter evenly into the pan and shake the pan back and forth to even the top.

Bake 35 minutes or until the cake starts to come away from the sides of the pan, the center is set and a skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Cool the cake to room temperature on a wire rack, then turn out onto a serving platter with bottom up. Dust with Passover confectioners’ sugar, then cut into 8 to 12 portions.

Serve the cake topped with a drizzle of honey mixed with lemon juice (and a tablespoon of so of brandy) if desired. Alternatively, spoon a dollop of the lemon filling (see the recipe for the Australian Pavlova) over top. Store the cake wrapped in aluminum foil up to three days at room temperature, or wrap well, first in wax paper and then in foil, and freeze up to two months.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a (10-inch) circle on the paper. Turn the paper over, so the ink is on the back. In a small bowl, whisk together half the sugar, the potato starch and the salt.

In the clean and greaseless bowl of a standing electric mixer and using the whisk, beat the egg whites until light and fluffy, then add the remaining half of the sugar and continue beating until the whites are firm and glossy, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the meringue to a wide shallow bowl.

Sprinkle about one-quarter of the sugar-starch mixture at a time over the top of the meringue and fold in using a silicone spatula or the like, continuing until all the sugar-starch mixture has been used. Sprinkle the vinegar over top and fold in. Spoon the meringue into a circle that is shallower in the center, using the outline as a guide rough nest shape.

Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch if gently pressed and the inside soft and marshmallow-like.) You should be able to pull the meringue off the parchment paper; if it sticks, bake another 15 minutes or so. Store the Pavlova, wrapped in aluminum foil, in a cool, dry place for two to three days, as long as the weather is nice and dry. (It is best not to make the Pavlova on a humid day as it will tend to be sticky.)

Meanwhile, make the lemon filling: In a small mixing bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of the lemon juice with the potato starch until smooth. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the remaining lemon juice, the eggs, egg yolks and the sugar, whisking or stirring until smooth.

Transfer to a heavy-bottomed, 2-quart nonreactive pot (not aluminum, unless it is coated on the inside) and pour in the lemon-starch mixture. Using a whisk, wooden spoon or silicone spatula, stir while heating over low-to-medium heat until the lemon filling thickens and just begins to bubble. Remove from the heat, then whisk or beat in the lemon zest and the Passover margarine.

Transfer the filling to a bowl, preferably stainless steel, ceramic or glass to cool. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. (To cool more quickly, place the bowl over a second bowl filled with ice and water, and cool, stirring occasionally.) Note that you will have extra filling. Store the filling covered and refrigerated, up to two weeks. Just before serving, gently remove the Pavlova from the parchment paper and place onto an attractive serving plate. Spoon about 1 cup of the lemon filling over top, leaving a 1- to 2-inch border all around. Toss the fruit lightly with the lime juice and honey. Spoon the fruit on top. Serve immediately.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the farfel, almonds, coconut, pecans, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a 2-quart mixing bowl. Melt the butter and honey in a small glass bowl in a microwave for 1 minute until butter is melted and honey is more fluid. Stir the butter mixture into the farfel mixture until all farfel is lightly coated with the butter. Spread mixture over a large pan with 1-inch sides and bake for 15 minutes. Halfway through the baking, stir to brown evenly. Remove from oven. Cool slightly and then toss with the dried fruit. When totally cooled, store in a Ziploc bag or airtight storage container for all eight days of Passover! This recipe makes about a quart, but plan on making more than one batch before Passover is over.

Recipe courtesy of A la Karte… Kosher Boutique Cuisine

Chicken Minah

1 box of matzo (6 sheets at least)

Water

4 cups of shredded chicken

Olive oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 large red peppers, finely chopped

1 package of sliced mushrooms

1 bunch of fresh cilantro or parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

½ teaspoon of cumin

½ teaspoon of paprika

½ cup kosher for Passover ketchup

Salt and black pepper to taste

3 eggs, slightly beaten

Cayenne pepper to taste – if you enjoy spicy food

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onions until golden. Set aside. In the same skillet, sauté the red peppers and mushrooms until soft for about 5 minutes. Add garlic powder, cumin, paprika, ketchup, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste, and if you handle spicy well, add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Reincorporate the onions to the skillet and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add shredded chicken and most of the cilantro and cook for 5 minutes more. Transfer the chicken mixture to a large bowl and let cool. Add ¾ of the beaten eggs and mix. Let soak. You may now assemble the Minah. Run two sheets of matzo under running water just to moisten and lay them on the bottom of a greased 9-by-13-inch Pyrex pan. Overlap them a little bit. Fill in with ½ of the chicken mixture and spread it around with a wooden spoon. Repeat the procedure with another two sheets of matzo and then add the rest of the chicken mixture. Finish with another layer of softened matzos. Brush the top of the matzos with the remaining beaten eggs. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro or parsley on the top before serving. Cut in square portions like a lasagna and serve with a side fresh salad.

Recipe courtesy of A la Karte… Kosher Boutique Cuisine

Spice is nice

At Cantina Feliz in Fort Washington, chef Tim Spinner spices up the holiday with his 4-course “Passover Feliz.”

Instead of corn, he uses the root vegetable malanga for tostadas and Boston Bibb lettuce for taco shells.

“We wanted to do something special,” said co-owner Brian Sirhal. “It’s different. It’s unique and not something people are expecting.”

Brisket Taco

Serves 8 to 10

1 brisket (4 to 5pounds)

1 tablespoon ground canela or cinnamon

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, mix all the spices together to make a dry rub. Rub brisket thoroughly with the mixture. Place brisket in a baking dish and cook for 1 hour. Remove brisket from oven and lower the temperature to 275 degrees. Add beef stock. Cover brisket with foil and cook for 3½ hours. Remove from oven and remove foil. Let stand for 30 minutes before slicing. Reserve broth.

In a medium saucepot, warm up brisket jus. Place sliced brisket in hot jus and warm up meat (do not boil, just warm meat through). Peel leaves off the Bibb lettuce. Assemble tacos by placing 2 to 3 slices of brisket onto lettuce leafs. Top with a spoonful of coleslaw and garnish with a slice of avocado. Serve immediately.